Antarctica (Lord Media): Mount Erebus in Antarctica is not only spewing lava but also gold. It is the world’s southernmost active volcano with a permanent lava lake, uniquely emitting tiny gold crystals into the atmosphere.
According to a 1991 study published in Geophysical Research Letters, Mount Erebus releases approximately 80 grams of microscopic gold crystals daily. Scientists believe the gold is associated with chlorine or sulfur-rich compounds in the hot volcanic gases, which cool and crystallize.
This characteristic of Mount Erebus sets it apart from other volcanoes and remains a mystery. Researchers have proposed two possible explanations: one suggests the gold crystallizes directly from chlorine-rich gases, while the other posits that crystals gradually form on the lava lake’s surface.
More than three decades have passed since this discovery, yet scientists still do not fully understand the process behind the formation of Mount Erebus’s microscopic gold crystals.
